3 Reported Killed in Anti-Government Protest in Beirut

 

Ed Yeranian

Lebanese Army troops and riot police have fired on a crowd of stone-throwing demonstrators in a suburb of Beirut. Lebanese television stations are reporting three people were killed and a dozen were wounded.
The demonstration¹ was part of a nationwide general strike to protest rising gasoline prices. Lebanese security forces opened fire after the crowd of mostly unemployed² young men began throwing rocks at the soldiers who were manning barricades³ in one of Beirut's southern suburbs.
Angry demonstrators set fire to tires, sending clouds of black smoke into the air. After the incident, hundreds of stone chunks⁴ littered the streets of Beirut's Hay As Soloum district.
Beirut's Al Manar television station showed images of wounded demonstrators being carried away by other protesters.
The crowds of young protesters called on Lebanon Prime Minister Rafiq al Hariri to resign. Prime Minister Hariri was reported to be visiting Damascus.
A member of parliament with ties to Lebanon's Hezbollah guerilla group, Hussein Hajj al Hassan, called for calm.
Mr. Hassan accused security forces of firing on the demonstrators without justification⁵, and he said those responsible should be punished.
Mr. Hassan added that there were negotiations⁶ going on with Lebanese Army officials for the withdrawal⁷ of the troops from Beirut's southern suburbs, which are largely Shiite, and are considered Hezbollah strongholds.
注释：
Lebanese [7lebE5ni:z] adj. 黎巴嫩的
riot police 防暴警察，即anti-riot police
suburb [5sQbE:b] n. 市郊，郊区
Beirut [bei5ru:t] n. 贝鲁特（黎巴嫩的首都，为一海港）
manning barricades 设置路障
stone chunks 大石块
litter [5litE] vt. 乱摆，乱丢
Lebanon Prime Minister 黎巴嫩总理
Damascus [dE5mAskEs] n. 大马士革（叙利亚首都）
Hezbollah guerilla group 黎巴嫩真主党游击队
accuse [E5kju:z] vt. 谴责
justification [dVQstIfI5keIF(E)n] n. 公正
Shiite [5Fi:ait] n. 什叶派教徒
stronghold [5strRNhEJld] n. 要塞，据点

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

3 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

4 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

5 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。